Living full-time on a Princess ship?

[PunkiC]

On our last cruise we ran into a guy who told us that he had made arrangements to live on a Princess ship. According to him, for $57K+ per year you could get an inside cabin on any ship, but you had to sign a contract for the full year and pay up front--no refunds. The gratuity in this instance was $2.00 per person, per day.

 

He said there were currently something like 115 couples who were living full-time on Princess ships.

 

Does anybody know anything about this?

Edited June 6, 2012 by PunkiC

[Pam in CA]

I don't know about pricing but I know that Lorraine Artz has lived on Princess ships for years.

[caribill]

I don't know about pricing but I know that Lorraine Artz has lived on Princess ships for years.

 

I read somewhere that shortly before the old Royal left the Princess fleet that Ms. Artz moved off of the ship and has yet to return to living on a Princess ship.

[COMBOY]

Well, I've never heard of such of year round cruise program. I'm sure you could work out anything with the cruise line if you wanted. So $57K / 365 = $156 + $2 tip per day. Not bad, but for a small inside cabin. Yikes!! But there had been several well known cases of people living on cruise ship. Loraine Artz and her husband sailed in the top suite on several of the Princess ship for 11 years, but I'm sure they paid much more than $57K a year!!!! Here an interesting interview I found with Loraine by USA Today.

 

By Gene Sloan, USA TODAY (2007)

There are people who cruise a little and people who cruise a lot. And then there's Lorraine Artz, 80, of Beverly Hills, Calif. The former dancer has spent nearly all of the past two decades at sea. A growing legend in the cruise world, Artz sails so often on Princess Cruises — at least 10 months a year — that the line just named her godmother of the new Royal Princess (which is fitting, as she recently moved onto it full time). USA TODAY's Gene Sloan spoke to Artz by phone during a port call in Israel.

 

Q: I'm told you hold the record for days at sea. How many is it?

 

A: As of today, I think it's 4,120. But I don't have my little book with me.

 

Q: And this all began when?

 

A: In the early '70s on a ship called the Spirit of London. (Sun Princess) At the time, I didn't know about cruising. We got on the ship in Los Angeles, and it was a little tiny cabin. It certainly was not comfortable. I just hung my clothes in the shower; that's how small it was. But after that first night on board, my husband and I said to each other, "We'll never travel any other way again."

 

Q: What hooked you?

 

A: It was so easy. On a cruise ship, everything is done for you. You have a room that is spotlessly clean. There is a room steward that takes care of your every need. There are shows, gambling, magnificent food. We'd done a lot of land travel before this, and it's hard work to land travel!

 

Q: Still, 4,120 days. That's the equivalent of more than 11 years. Doesn't it get boring?

 

A: I've got a standard answer for that, which is the smart-ass answer: Only boring people get bored.

 

Let me give you a little scenario of a day onboard. (After some time ashore) you return to the ship and get ready for the evening. You go down to one of the many bars, and you have a drink. You spend an hour relaxing with friends, and most of my friends, of course, are crewmembers.

 

(Then) you go into a beautiful dining room with a menu that any fine restaurant would be pleased to present, and when dinner is finished you have options. You either go to a movie or a production show or a comedian or a magic show. And then you go to sleep in a comfortable bed, and you wake up the next morning, open your drapes and you're in another country.

 

How anyone can be bored on a cruise ship, I don't know.

 

Q: Is part of the allure seeing lots of places?

 

A: It is, and it isn't. I like to see (different) countries. But for me, the best part is the life aboard. I came back to sea about a month after my husband died (five years ago), and from the moment I boarded, it was like I had this enormous family that cared what was happening with me. I didn't realize it at first, but (members of the crew) were taking intervals not leaving me alone.

 

Q: How many countries have you visited?

 

A: You know, I've never counted. But I've been pretty much around the world — India, China, Vietnam, Thailand, England, Scandinavia, Russia.

 

Q: Even suites on ships aren't that big. How do you manage?

 

A: Doesn't seem to bother me. I'm very comfortable. That's why I sold my house. I didn't feel like I needed it. Remember, you've got a whole ship there. You're not confined to your room in any way.

 

Q: And what happens when you leave the ship?

 

A: I keep the cabin all year, even when I'm not here, so I don't have to pack and unpack.

 

Q: I've got to ask: Do you ever get seasick?

 

A: Never (laughing). I grew up in the U.K., and I used to go fishing with my father in the Irish Sea. Do you know how rough that is?

 

Q: What's your favorite place to cruise?

 

A: I'd say Chile. The fiords are magnificent. I've been in Norwegian fiords and Alaskan fiords, and they don't compare to Chile's.

 

Q: Least favorite?

 

A: The Caribbean. Forty years ago, the Caribbean was wonderful. But now you go into a Caribbean port and there are seven ships a day there, it's crowded and (the locals) stand there with their hands out.

 

Q: How much longer do you expect to keep this up?

 

A: Until I die (laughter). I'd like to be buried at sea, but they don't allow it! When my husband died, this is what I put on his tombstone: "If you don't mind. I'd rather be cruising." And I've also ordered my own, and do you know what that says? "Me, too."

[WeeCountyMan]

Living onboard a cruise liner strikes me as quite a sad life really, however, everybody to their own.

[WendyG]

I couldn't do it as I could never leave my cats but I bet it's very interesting. You meet so many different people week after week and see so many places.

 

It also seems like it's an escape from reality. Eventually I would go stir crazy and want off!

 

Nice article, thanks for sharing :)

[paul929207]

I read somewhere that shortly before the old Royal left the Princess fleet that Ms. Artz moved off of the ship and has yet to return to living on a Princess ship.

I was told that her son came and moved her to a home. She was reaching the point where the ship could not provide the care she needed.

[april47]

Theres a thread "Never to Old" on the Solo board that is about a 94 yr old that has been living on cruise ships. His name here is Musicus and entries are interesting. I'm thinking that besides a steady income , you would need to have a spirit of adventure and willing to make a lot of compromises. :)

[paddingtonbear]

Surely you could get a better deal than 57k for an inside cabin??

[deedeetoo]

I wonder how you would deal with medical care. How many people over retirement age don't have any medical issues at all? My husband has a couple minor things that require regular checks. Does the doctor on board handle routine matters for people like this?

[paul929207]

Surely you could get a better deal than 57k for an inside cabin??

Don't forget, that is for a solo cabin.

[Princess Cruiser27]

I don't know about pricing but I know that Lorraine Artz has lived on Princess ships for years.

 

Pam, I got off this past Saturday from the Sapphire Princess Alaska Cruise and my waiter over hear me talking about Ms. Lorraine and my waiter mention that Ms. Lorraine was on the Sapphire Princess about a month ago for about 10 days, and she hasn't been doing well. Health wise that is.

[flamomo]

On our last cruise we ran into a guy who told us that he had made arrangements to live on a Princess ship. According to him, for $57K+ per year you could get an inside cabin on any ship, but you had to sign a contract for the full year and pay up front--no refunds. The gratuity in this instance was $2.00 per person, per day.

 

He said there were currently something like 115 couples who were living full-time on Princess ships.

 

Does anybody know anything about this?

 

 

A few cruises ago we had dinner one night with a older gentleman and his wife, who spun a rather fanciful tale, in great detail, about a plan to sell their home and cruise full time. He spoke of the annual costs, the fact that there was onboard medical care, how the cruiseline would handle it if one of them died onboard (burial at sea, according to him!). The wife had significant vision problems, and he implied that if he passed away, the crew would take care of her assistance needs and she would continue to live aboard.

 

As I said, quite fanciful, and not quite believable. Made for interesting listening anyway!!

[dorisis]

We have met several couples on our many Princess cruises who spend most, but not all,of their time cruising. Both said they change ships frequently and maybe that is the variety in their cruising, Not all ships go to all ports, so changing would definitley be the way I would want to go. Also now that Princess has the 2 small ships and others of vaying sizes would make changing more interesting.

 

~Doris~>Who doubts she would want to live full time onboard.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Medical care is a huge issue, because even if you're relatively healthy (and the older the person the less likely that would be), although the docs onboard do a fine job and handle emergencies well, they aren't specialists. Also, if someone truly did sell their home, where would they go when they needed significant medical care and recuperation? I remember one "not too old" lady telling us, when she heard we were cruising most of the winter, that she couldn't possibly be away from her doctors that long; she seemed to need frequent visits and tests. And I would not have thought her unhealthy at all. I am still paying (in terms of back issues) for a problem I had over 100 days on the Emerald but just put up with, since there was no easy access to chiropractic, physical therapy and a reasonably priced therapeutic massage. Ignoring it as long as I did means I have 2-3 appointments every week now. And I'm not yet "old" (just feeling that way some days when it hurts to get out of bed).

 

I also completely agree with WeeCountyMan...I need more purpose in my life than living full time on a cruise ship. I believe that giving back to others, being actively engaged with people of all ages keeps one young and vitalized. And although I have no pets, I can't imagine being away from friends at home longer than, say, 100 days.;)

 

But there are many times every week, when I am tired of home and yard maintenance, that I think about this very thing, and, despite the realities of it, it will always hold at least a little appeal.

[paul929207]

Another problem would be perscription medicines.

 

My wife is on one that is quitte expensive, so the insurance company only authorizes one month at a time. They have co-operated when we are on 45 day trips by appoving two months before we left. Not sure how it would work to get 4 or 6 months at a time.

[Pam in CA]

...how the cruiseline would handle it if one of them died onboard (burial at sea, according to him!). The wife had significant vision problems, and he implied that if he passed away, the crew would take care of her assistance needs and she would continue to live aboard.

FYI, Princess will do a burial at sea. I arranged this for my brother-in-law last year. It was handled so well that I told my daughter that's what I want. It didn't cost anything other than a little time and effort. I wrote a detailed account of our experience and how to arrange it in January 2011.

 

Bill, I knew Lorraine wasn't doing well and has health issues. What a shame; she's a lovely lady.

[PescadoAmarillo]

Another problem would be perscription medicines.

 

My wife is on one that is quitte expensive, so the insurance company only authorizes one month at a time. They have co-operated when we are on 45 day trips by appoving two months before we left. Not sure how it would work to get 4 or 6 months at a time.

In my experience, insurance companies are less likely to grant vacation overrides several months in the future. Whereas I would have no trouble getting a two month supply on a monthly prescription once or twice a year, I can't do it more often than that or for multiple months at a time. And on a 3-month prescription, my insurance company absolutely won't authorize a 6-month supply to be filled at one time. It's a bit of a problem.

Edited June 6, 2012 by PescadoAmarillo

[WeeCountyMan]

Flamomo,

 

He spoke of the annual costs, the fact that there was onboard medical care, how the cruiseline would handle it if one of them died onboard (burial at sea, according to him!).

 

I had to Google to find out if burial at sea is legal.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_at_sea

 

The "simple" answer is yes - but there are so many rules, restrictions and obstacles as to make it very difficult to accomplish in practical terms.

 

Laws will vary from country to country.

 

If death took place on a Princess ship, which national Laws would prevail ?

 

The USA (owners) or Bermuda (vessel registration) etc. ?

[Pam in CA]

In my experience, insurance companies are less likely to grant vacation overrides several months in the future. Whereas I would have no trouble getting a two month supply on a monthly prescription once or twice a year, I can't do it more often than that or for multiple months at a time. And on a 3-month prescription, my insurance company absolutely won't authorize a 6-month supply to be filled at one time. It's a bit of a problem.

My pharmacist told me the trick is to have your doctor write the prescription for twice the number of pills per month. Insurance objects to the timing of the refills, not the number of pills. Also, there's a grace period of about five days so I make sure I get my prescriptions refilled at 26 days for several months running. That accumulates enough extra pills so I don't have to request a vacation override.

[Pam in CA]

The "simple" answer is yes - but there are so many rules, restrictions and obstacles as to make it very difficult to accomplish in practical terms.

It's actually very simple. You need to request prior approval from the Princess Marine Department, the ship needs to be at least 12 miles from shore, and the remains need to be in either a biodegradable container or distributed directly (which is what we did.) I contacted the Purser's Desk after boarding, they consulted with the Navigator and then gave me some day/time options. A little bit of effort and not complicated at all.

[Pia1913]

I could do that! :D Seriously. DH and I have discussed this many times. We are constantly asked why we have a house, since we spend so much time on a cruise ship. I sometimes wonder why myself. ;)

[Sincity]

It's actually very simple. You need to request prior approval from the Princess Marine Department, the ship needs to be at least 12 miles from shore, and the remains need to be in either a biodegradable container or distributed directly (which is what we did.) I contacted the Purser's Desk after boarding, they consulted with the Navigator and then gave me some day/time options. A little bit of effort and not complicated at all.

 

So one has to be cremated first?

[Sincity]

I wonder if Lorraine Artz had the privelage to access crew-only areas?

[Pam in CA]

So one has to be cremated first?

Yes.